a very small amount compared to sandy but significant still for those affected. nationwide, the financial consequences of weather-related disasters and climate change hit an historic new high last year. u.s. disasters cost over $55 billion in damages. federal, state and local governments are paying out more every year in damages and lost productivity, so the question, then, is, as we as a government, what are we going to do about this? is this a new normal? the insurance and defense sectors have looked at the scientific data. they are changing their operations. they are preparing for the worst and even bigger losses. insurance commissioners in california, new york and washington now require companies to disclose how they are working to plot the effects of climate change and their responses. congress may be in denial but the real world, the private sector, is not. and as the government is the ultimate insurer of millions of americans in the crop insurance and national flood insurance programs, we have to get serious about addressing the cause and effects of climat